Wisma Great Eastern Chung Siew Yin Building, 25 Lebuh Light
Wisma Great Eastern Location Map
Wisma Great Eastern, along Lebuh Light, Penang, was originally known as the Chung Siew Yin Building. The double-storey building was built in the mid 19th century. In 1952, it was restructured, with an Art Deco style wing added to it. In 2005, another renovation took place, where a new 5-storey wing was added to the Chung Siew Yin Building, bringing a more contemporary style into the picture. The ground breaking took place on 25 April 2005. As the existing buildings are within the core zone of a Unesco World Heritage Site, the new wing has to blend in. The new wing provides an additional 82,000 sq ft of lettable office space for George Town, and built at a cost of RM51 million.
Getting there
From the Weld Quay Bus Terminal, walk along Pengkalan Weld in the north-easterly direction. The road makes a bend to the left and changes name to Pesara King Edwards. Continue to the roundabout, past the Queen Victoria Memorial Clocktower, and enter Lebuh Light. Wisma Great Eastern is located at the junction of Lebuh Light and Lebuh King.
What to see or do
See how a state-of-the-art modern wing is seamlessly integrated into the design of two heritage buildings, one dating from the mid 19th century while another from the mid 20th century.
Nearby Sights
Wisma Great Eastern is located within a heritage-rich section of George Town. Within walking distance are the following sights, with directions referenced from the Lebuh Light entrance of Wisma Great Eastern:
Municipal Fountain: Cross Lebuh Light and then turn left. Walk along Lebuh Light, cross Jalan Padang Kota Lama, and you will see the Municipal Fountain on your right.
Town Hall: Cross Lebuh Light and then turn left. Walk along Lebuh Light, cross Jalan Padang Kota Lama, then turn right. The Town Hall is on your left.
City Hall: Cross Lebuh Light and then turn left. Walk along Lebuh Light, cross Jalan Padang Kota Lama, then turn right, walk past the Town Hall, and you will arrive at City Hall on your left.
Cenotaph: Cross Lebuh Light and then turn left. Walk along Lebuh Light, cross Jalan Padang Kota Lama, then turn right, walk past Town Hall and City Hall, and you will arrive at the Cenotaph along Jalan Tun Syed Sheh Barakbah, at the opposite side to Jalan Padang Kota Lama.
Dewan Sri Pinang: Cross Lebuh Light and then turn left. Walk along Lebuh Light, cross Jalan Padang Kota Lama, past the Municipal Fountain, and you will see Dewan Sri Pinang on your right.
Penang Supreme Court: Turn left and walk along Lebuh Light until the junction of Jalan Masjid Kapitan Keling. The Penang Supreme Court is located along Lebuh Light across Jalan Masjid Kapitan Keling.
Fort Cornwallis: Cross Lebuh Light and turn right. Walk along Lebuh Light until you see Fort Cornwallis on your left
Queen Victoria Memorial Clocktower: Cross Lebuh Light and turn right. Walk along Lebuh Light until you reach the round about. The Queen Victoria Memorial Clocktower is at the junction of Jalan Tun Syed Sheh Barakbah at the roundabout
Logan Memorial: Cross Lebuh Light and then turn left. Walk along Lebuh Light, cross Jalan Padang Kota Lama, past the Municipal Fountain and Dewan Sri Pinang. Cross Jalan Tun Syed Sheh Barakbah, and you will see Logan Memorial on your right.
Convent Light Street: Cross Lebuh Light and then turn left. Walk along Lebuh Light until it makes a bend to the left, and you will see Convent Light Street in front of you.
Visiting Penang
If you're planning a trip to Penang, please go through the information I have assembled in Penang Travel Tips. You'd find there information covering all aspect about Penang, including accommodation, transport, food, shopping, places of interest and more. Everything you need to know Penang is right there at your finger tips!
It is often more practical to book your tours online. You have the luxury of time to go through what are the tours you intend to take, rather than having to make a decision on your feet. Check out the local tours in Penang that you can book online. The tours are provided by Viator, a reputable international tour company.
If you are coming to Penang, you can arrange airport transfer from airport to city in advance. A van will be waiting for you to pick you at the airport. This service is very useful and cost effective if you are arriving as a group.
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Penang Travel Tips is researched and written by Timothy Tye, universally known as Tim. The text is the copyright of Timothy Tye, and may not be copied for commercial use or re-published in another website without the author's permission. Information provided is in goodwill and is believed to be correct and up-to-date at time of writing. Photographs on this website are the copyright of the author and may not be reused without prior permission. For commercial licensing of photographs, read the licensing terms. Tim is a Christian. Click here to know more about his beliefs.
